It was only fitting that, on the last full day of summer, Roma sweated out a difficult Derby della Capitale against Lazio under the blazing midday sun. With temperatures at kickoff climbing past 30 degrees Celsius, today’s match was not for the faint of heart. As the players on the pitch battled the sweltering conditions, fans everywhere endured 96 gut-wrenching minutes as Roma, for nearly three-quarters of the match, held onto a one-goal lead. It wasn’t easy viewing, but since when have the Giallorossi
made anything easy?
Following last weekend’s surprising loss to Torino, Gian Piero Gasperini faced multiple challenges against Lazio: the pressure of the derby, intense heat, and late-week scratches that caused Paulo Dybala, Mario Hermoso, and Wesley to miss today’s game due to injury or illness. Due to these absences, Gasperini was forced to make some significant changes to his formation.
While Hermoso and Wesley were, to no one’s surprise, replaced by Zeki Celik and Devyne Rensch, Gasperini forced the Romaverse into a collective double take with his Dybala stand-in: Lorenzo Pellegrini. Sitting in the hole of a 3-4-1-2, not only was the former captain making his first appearance under Gasperini (in a derby, no less!), but he was occupying arguably the most crucial position in the attack, pulling the strings behind Matías Soulé and Evan Ferguson.
In the opening 20 minutes or so, that decision fell flat, as the Giallorossi lacked the usual pace and vigor typical of a Gasperini attack. Facing another well-organized defense—in this case Maurizio Sarri’s aggressive and amorphous zonal marking system—Pellegrini, Soulé, and the rest of Roma’s frontline struggled to create any effective space in the final third, with nearly 30 minutes passing before their first shot on goal.
Seemingly doomed to another frustrating performance, the calcio gods smiled on Roma’s forgotten son:
With Rensch forcing Lazio left-back Nuno Tavares into a turnover in the area, the Dutch full-back knocked the ball into Soulé’s path. And without missing a beat, Soulé squared the ball to Pellegrini, who calmly slotted it into the far corner, just past Ivan Provedel’s outstretched arms. Pellegrini’s fifth and likely final derby goal sent the Curva Sud into hysteria, giving the local boy turned captain turned outcast one last moment in the derby sun.
At the risk of short-selling the remainder of the match, which included several close calls in the final third, including a horrible breakaway miss from Boulaye Dia in the 54th minute that generated 0.60 xG, and a late shot from Danilo Cataldi that hit the post, this game will always be remembered as Pellegrini’s derby swansong—one final moment of glory for one of the most divisive players of recent times.
Not to be outdone, Roma received stellar performances from Rensch, Evan Ndicka and Manu Koné, among others, putting the Giallorossi back on the right foot after a disappointing loss to Torino last weekend. With today’s victory, Roma have won three out of four matches to begin the season and will finish Matchday 4 with nine points and no worse than 5th place.
Final Thoughts
Despite Pellegrini’s heroics, Roma’s lack of fluidity in the final third remains a visible concern. While we should remind ourselves that we’re only four matches into the Gasperini era, the lack of punch up top is not only an aesthetic concern but a practical matter. With the Europa League beginning this week, Roma’s lifeless attack will be put to the test, facing foreign opponents, mounting fatigue, and inevitable injuries.
Gasperini will likely dig deeper into his bench in the coming weeks, so players like Daniele Ghilardi, Jan Ziolkowski and even Leon Bailey could see their numbers called as Roma squares off against Nice, Verona, Lille and Fiorentina over the next two weeks.
Up Next
Roma sets sail for France as they open their Europa League campaign against Nice on Wednesday the 24th.
